Rob, God of Robotics
by Draka Dracula
Summary: In an alternate universe, Rob dies and is taken to Mount Olympus where he becomes the new God of Robots and Robotics. What happens when Rob from one universe meets this more powerful version? Slight crossover with DC's Wonder Woman.
1. Death and Rebirth

Rob, Olympian God of Robotics

By: Jo Ann

Chapter 1: Death and Rebirth

Summery: In an alternate universe, Rob dies and is taken to Mount Olympus where he becomes the new God of Robots and Robotics. What happens when Rob from one universe meets this more powerful version?

Disclaimer: _Mighty Orbots_ and its characters and places belong to TMS Entertainment. Wonder Woman and this version of the Olympians belong to DC Comics. I'm not making any money off of this. Mark Jones and Hoshi Me/Robin Simmons belong to me. It is just a fanfiction.

_-_-_

Robert Simmons floated in a bubble of water, though he seemed to be breathing air. He was naked, and curled up in the fetal position, with his legs folded and his knees up against his chest. His arms curled around, hugging his legs. His head was bowed between his knees, and his eyes were closed, seemingly asleep.

The bubble, itself, seemed to be suspended in a void of some kind, with no stars or planets. Just inky blackness for as far as the eye could see --if Rob was awake to see it. And the bubble was alone in this sea of space; no other bubbles or life of any kind could be seen. Just the one bubble, with its one, blond-haired occupant, asleep and oblivious to his surroundings.

Rob dreamed of the past, of memories he held dear –and some not so dear, but still a part of his life. Images of those he loved flashed through his mind –Galactic Patrol Commander Rondu, who was so much like the father Rob had never known; Dia, Rondu's beautiful daughter, with whom Rob had always been so madly in love with; Tor, the mighty red Orbot; Bort, the nervous blue shape-changer; Bo, the wise-cracking, prank-playing, flirty orange female; Boo, Bo's sweet, shy, yellow sister; Crunch, the overweight purple Orbot; and little Oh-No, Rob's assistant.

It was the most recent memory that now tormented Rob. Over-and-over again, the same sequence of events played themselves out, and Rob viewed them, as if watching the same scenes in a movie, over and over again…

_-_-_FLASHBACK_-_-_

"Are you sure this is where they are?" Rob asked Mark Jones. Mark was the Galactic Patrol officer in command of this particular sector of the galaxy. He was also one of Rob's best friends.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Mark replied. "A confirmed Shadow Haven, right on this planet." A Shadow Haven was a place where the remains of the Shadow organization came together after the destruction of Umbra and Shadow. For months, the Galactic Patrol had been locating and cleaning out these Shadow agent refuges and putting their occupants on Devil's Asteroid.

"You _know_ I don't like using guns, Mark," Rob reminded his friend. He held the blaster pistol like a trained officer, but not without some unease.

"Yeah, I know," the other officer said sympathetically. "But if the Shadow agents in there refuse to cooperate, we'll have a firefight on our hands. If you aren't armed and ready, that could be fatal."

"I know," Rob replied. "But that doesn't make me feel any better. I don't like to hurt people."

"Just shoot to wound or disarm," the cowboy-uniformed officer advised. "We'll do the rest."

"Okay," Rob agreed, still uneasy and unsure. Mark smiled and pushed the brim of his ten-gallon hat up. A sound from the caves they were watching got their attention.

"Get ready," Mark said. "Here they come…"

It had been almost an explosion of activity. One moment, Mark, Rob, the Orbots, and over a hundred Galactic Patrol officers were watching the Shadow Haven entrance, waiting for the Shadow agents to make their next move; the next, the Shadows were attacking, their blasters blazing. Even if they, themselves, were taken alive, the Shadow agents wanted to make the capture a costly one for the Galactic Patrol.

During the confusion of the battle, Rob fired his pistol, doing his best to either wound or disarm as Mark had advised. He did so to several of the Shadow agents, mostly disarming them, much to Rob's relief. Whenever he had fought Shadow before, it was in the safety of Mighty Orbots, not in the middle of a battlefield, with only a blaster pistol as his weapon. A weapon he was none to comfortable with, as Rob was a peaceful young man.

"Commander!" he had heard Mark scream. "LOOK OUT!" Before Rob could react, however, he was hit by an energy beam, and he fell to the ground.

"OH, NO!" he heard someone cry out. Little Oh-No, of course, for that is how she had gotten her name. There were sounds of fighting around him, but Rob could not move. He saw Mark and Oh-No appear in his vision.

"Oh-No, you start first aid," he heard Mark order. Rob could hear the sound of Mark's pistol as it fired at the attacking Shadow agents. He felt the small, cool metal hands of his littlest Orbot gently examine his wounds. His blurred vision saw Bo and Boo also come near to help Oh-No.

"Hang in there, Commander…" was the last thing Rob heard as he drifted into unconsciousness.

_-_-_END FLASHBACK_-_-_

_I'm dead! _ Rob thought as he floated inside his little bubble. _I died on that planet, in that battle. But what happens now? _

_Now, young one? _a soothing voice answered him. _Now you will embark on a wondrous journey, at the end of which, you will be given a wonderful gift!_

_Who are you? _Rob asked. _And where am I? Where am I going? And what is this "gift"?_

_So full of questions! _the voice replied with amusement. _Patience, my sweet and handsome young friend. All will be explained once you have reached your destination. _The voice was feminine, and soft and gentle and motherly. The sound of it relaxed Rob some, although he was still confused and a little uneasy. The voice began to sing in an unknown language, and the soft, gentle sound soothed away the nightmare of his last waking moments.

As Rob slept in his watery prison, the bubble began to move seemingly upward, although direction could not truly be detected in the black void. But the bubble seemed to know where to go –or perhaps it was being guided to its destination.

_-_-_

Rob awoke sitting on a cloud, still in the fetal position, and still very naked. He looked about him –and blushed when he saw that he was not alone! All around him were men and women dressed in ancient Greek clothes –robes and tunics—all standing or sitting around, watching him. As soon as the man in on the throne saw that he was awake, he smiled and gave Rob a greeting.

"Welcome, Robert Simmons, to Mount Olympus!" the man greeted. "I am Zeus, king of the gods of Olympus!"

"'Mount Olympus'?" Rob repeated incredulously. "'Gods'?"

"Surely you have heard of us," the woman seated at Zeus' side replied.

"Of course," Rob answered. "In legends and myths. But to find that you're for real…"

"Of course we are for real!" a warrior in dark armor declared. He turned to a woman in long, blue robes. "I thought you said he was intelligent, Athena."

"Do not mind Ares," A beautiful blond in pink robes smiled at Rob. "He is _always_ like that." To Rob's surprise, hers was the same voice he had heard while he was in the bubble!

"The poor dear," a woman in orange robes commented. "He has no clothes!" Rob blushed even more at the reminder of his unclothed state.

The woman on the throne waved her hand, and the clouds swirled around Rob, weaving themselves into material, then draping over him. When the excess clouds dispersed, Rob found that he wore a simple, white Greek tunic, held on by a pair of gold brooches. There was no other adornment, and he was still barefoot.

"There," she said. "He is sufficiently covered."

"Thanks, uh, your Majesty," Rob said.

"Do you know us?" Zeus asked.

"Well, not personally, no," Rob admitted. "But if I were to make some educated guesses – not counting the ones that have already been identified by name—I would say that you are Hera, queen of the gods." She smiled and nodded in affirmative. He turned toward the woman in pink.

"Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty?" he asked. She, too, nodded. He looked next to a young man in a long red cloak, a winged, gold helmet, and golden winged sandals. "You would be Hermes, the messenger of the gods. You," he turned toward the woman in orange, "I would guess –Hestia, the goddess of the hearth?" She nodded. To a woman in a short, red tunic, and carrying a bow, he said, "Artemis, goddess of the moon and of the hunt?" Another yes.

"He is good," the aforementioned Artemis nodded in approval.

"You," Rob said to a green-robed woman, "are Demeter, goddess of agriculture. And you," a young man in gold, "Apollo, god of the sun, and twin brother to Artemis."

"Very good," Apollo agreed.

"And you," he grinned at an older man in purple robes and holding a wine goblet, "are Dionysus, god of wine. You," he turned to a somber man in white and black, "are Hades, god of the Underworld, the land of the dead. And you," he finished, looking toward a sea-green merman carrying a trident, "are Poseidon, god of the seas."

"And me?" a muscular man in a green loin cloth asked. "Do you know who I am?"

"Hmmm…let's see…" Rob thought for a moment. Then, he snapped his fingers as an answer came to him. "Hercules. Or, in Greek –Herakles."

"Well done, lad!" Zeus cried his approval. "Now, do you have any inkling of why you were brought before us?"

"Not a clue," Rob admitted. "But I have a huge hunch that I died in that battle."

"That you did," Hades replied. "And it was at the request of Zeus that I stop your journey to the afterlife and bring you here."

"But for what purpose?" Rob asked.

"To offer you something that few mortals have ever received," Zeus answered. "A chance to be a god!"

"What…?!?" Rob's eyes bulged wide as what the king had said sunk in. "Me? A god?"

"Yes," Hera answered patiently. "You have earned the right to become one of the Immortals."

"What would my powers be?" Rob asked. He could not imagine what he would have power over.

"You would be the god of robots and robotics," Artemis answered.

"Your compassion for even the metal people makes you the perfect choice for the role," Aphrodite added.

"You would have powers over any kind of constructed person or animal, be it a statue or a robot," Zeus explained. "You could create such a construct, and imbue it with intelligence and even a measure of free will and consciousness with just a thought. You could heal –or destroy—them at your whim."

"Not to mention all the basic godly powers," Hermes added. "Immortality, healing, invisibility, and many more."

"I would have that kind of power, huh?" Rob asked, seemingly to consider the offer.

"Of course," Zeus nodded.

"What about my friends?" Rob asked. "Would there be any way for them to live here, too? I'm not asking for _all _my friends. Just Rondu, Dia, and the Orbots. And only if _they_ want to stay."

"Hmmm…" Zeus contemplated Rob's question. "Perhaps…" He looked toward Hades for a way to answer the young man.

"When their time comes," the lord of the dead spoke up. "I will bring them here and the same offer can be proposed to them. They do not have to become gods and goddesses; just immortal. If they accept the offer, then all will be well. If not, they will resume their journey to the afterlife. But," he warned sternly, "_only_ these that you have named shall be extended the invitations. No others. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Rob nodded in agreement. "I understand."

"Good," Zeus said. "Now that you have heard the offer, do you accept? Will you become one of us?"

"If I do," Rob observed, "I would have to change alliances. I would have to be on your side, not the United Planets, or the Galactic Patrol."

"True," Zeus answered. "But that was in your mortal life. You are now starting an immortal life. Changes are being made. What do you choose?"

Rob contemplated for a few moments. The lure of immortality, to be a god, was strong. There was so much good he could do, if only he had the power to do so. And he was now being offered the power. And yet, he knew, power often came with a price. Even as a god, he would be limited in power to just figures of people and animals. He could not, for instance, raise the dead, or make someone fall in love with him. Still, the chance to have the power to make things better…

Rob snapped out of his train of thought. He turned to Zeus with one of his cocky grins, one of the ones he used when he had a plan.

"I accept your offer," he said simply. His announcement made the gods and goddesses around him relax.

"Excellent!" Zeus shouted grandly. He waved one muscular arm. "Bring the nectar and the ambrosia!"

Instantly, the items were brought. The nectar was in an ornate, gold and jeweled goblet, while the ambrosia was in a matching bowl. Each was carried by a beautiful young girl, who knelt and offered them to Rob.

"Drink the nectar for eternal youth," Zeus commanded. "Eat of the ambrosia for immortality and join the ranks of the gods!"

Rob took the goblet and drank deep of the sweet nectar, then took some of the ambrosia and ate it, chewing it and savoring the taste before swallowing. As soon as he swallowed the last of the ambrosia, Rob felt himself bathed in warm, golden power. When it faded, Rob _knew _he was one of the gods.

"Now," Zeus continued, "it is time to dress our new godling as befits an Olympian!" He waved his hand, and, just as before, clouds swirled around Rob, draping themselves over him. His simple tunic changed to the finest of cloth, the lower hem trimmed in gold. The brooches became a little bigger. Around each of his upper arms there appeared a golden armband, while each wrist sported a golden wristband. Around his waist, a wide golden belt encircled. On his feet and legs were tall, golden sandals.

"Gods and Goddesses of Olympus!" Zeus announced. "Welcome our new immortal: Robert Simmons: God of Robots and Robotics!" As Rob stood on the pedestal among the deities of ancient Greece, he felt a surge of triumph and pride that he had never felt before. Then, Zeus waved his hand again. In Rob's hand there appeared a gold and jeweled screwdriver. The handle of the screwdriver was in the shape of a robot.

"That is your symbol, Robert," Zeus explained. "All gods and goddesses have something that symbolizes them in some way. The lightning bolt for me, or the seashell for Aphrodite, and so on. Yours is that screwdriver, a tool --I believe-- you used often as a robotics engineer. That is why the handle is in the form of a robot."

"Thank you…uh…" Rob stammered. Somehow, "Your Majesty" did not seem enough for Zeus, even though he was a king.

"Everyone calls me either 'Lord Zeus' or 'Father Zeus'," the king smiled helpfully, amused at the youth's unsureness.

"Thank you, Father Zeus," Rob corrected himself sheepishly.

"Now," Zeus announced. "Time for the feast in honor of our new godling! To the feasting chamber!" With that, the gods and goddesses filed out, and headed inside the palace. Rob stood where he was, unsure of where to go. It was not until Hermes put his arm around Rob's shoulder and led him inside that the new immortal joined the group.

Inside the palace, in the feasting chamber, there were cushioned and marble couches, each with its own table. At each couch there stood a boy or a girl, each ready to serve the meal to those who would be occupying the couches. It was to these couches that the gods and goddesses went, settling down for the feast.

Hermes led Rob to a couch near Zeus and Hera, on which the new immortal settled in. The fabric covering the couch was soft and plush, a rich red color. There were cushions of all colors, trimmed in gold. The dishes on the table were jewel-encrusted gold and beautiful crystal. Rob reclined on his couch when he observed that the others were doing likewise. He was new to godhood, and looked to those around him for instruction.

At a signal from Zeus, the food was served. Rob was surprised to find most of the foods recognizable. Turkey was featured, as well as goose and other game birds; beef in some form or another; fruit of all kinds; breads and cheeses; honeycomb, and –of course—wine.

Rob sampled a little of each course offered, sticking mainly with the ones he was most familiar with. The wine was something fairly new to him, as he had never drank any kind of alcoholic beverage before. But he found that, in his new form, he could handle the strong drink very well.

All around him, the deities of Olympus were feasting as if it was all they had ever done. Except for Dionysus, no one was feeling the effects of the wine, which everyone drank like free-flowing water.

_He probably likes it like that, _Rob thought to himself as he caught a glimpse of the god of wine flirting with the servant girls that attended him.

"And how is our newest Olympian doing?" a voice asked him. "Enjoying yourself, little godling?" Rob turned toward the voice to see a balding man sitting nearby. He was muscular, but seemed to have a limp. This contrasted with the seemingly perfection of the rest of the Olympians.

"Yes, thank you," Rob replied. "It's all excellent." He scanned the other for a moment, then continued. "You're Hephaestus, god of fire and the forge, right?"

"Aye," the other confirmed. "We are alike, you and I, at least in one respect. I work with metals, making everything from armor to machines. You create machines, as well. But the machines you create seem to have lives of their own. Your Orbots, for example. I have never seen such beings as your metal children! Products of the times, I would wager."

"Yes," Rob answered. "Robots and humans have been together for centuries, but only as recent as about one hundred and fifty years ago has robots been accepted into human society."

"You seem nervous, Robert," Hera observed. "Does the food not please you?"

"Oh, no," Rob replied. "The food is great. It's just that this god-thing is going to take some getting used to. I'm going to need time to adjust to being immortal."

"So very modest!" Hera smiled at him. "It reminds me another young mortal that became a goddess."

"Yes," Zeus agreed. "Princess Diana of the Amazons of Themyscria. She was mortal, as well, but was made immortal, and became the Goddess of Truth. However, Diana wished to be mortal, and so she was made so."

"You mean," Rob asked, "if I wanted to, I could go back to Earth?"

"No," Hades answered from where he sat just off to the side of Zeus. "Although Diana, too, died before becoming a goddess, she was an Amazon. She was one expected to reappear among the mortals. You, however, are not. To the universe, Robert Simmons, the robotics engineer and the Orbots' Commander is dead. Killed in battle on a distant planet while fighting agents of the organization once known as 'Shadow'. Your mortal remains were brought back to Earth and buried."

"There is even a statue in your honor," Hestia broke in. "It stands on a pedestal that serves as your grave marker."

"For you to return to your mortal life would require much explanation," Zeus went on. "Could _you_ explain to your loved ones how you were alive, even as your corpse lies buried in its tomb?"

"No," Rob admitted sadly. "I guess I couldn't. They would think I was a clone created by Shadow, or other such imposter. And I couldn't prove that I was the real Rob Simmons." He took his goblet and sipped the red-purple drink quietly.

"Here is an idea," Hermes spoke up. "Why do we not ask Diana to come to Olympus and tutor our godling? She would have to temporarily resume being the Goddess of Truth, but it is for a good cause. Our young friend could certainly learn better from someone that has been mortal, as well as immortal."

"What?" Hercules cried. "You mean _I _do not count as mortal-immortal?"

"Of course you do," Hermes replied. "But Robert needs someone that will not try to challenge him to a wrestling match every few minutes. Also, Diana would be more sympathetic to our boy if she could see how shy and modest he was. The perfect man –or near so—to an Amazon."

"Hmmm…Not a bad idea, Hermes," Zeus nodded. "Tomorrow, then, you shall go to Paradise Island and retrieve Diana. Promise her that she will only be the Goddess of Truth temporarily, and only to instruct our newest godling."

Rob smiled his thanks, and he settled back to enjoy the feast. He reflected on this newest chapter of his life. Or rather, to continue the book analogy, this was more of a new book instead of a new chapter. His old life was concluded, ending with his death in battle and his burial on Earth. Now, he was beginning a new book, and a new life.

Next Chapter: Training a Godling. Rob is trained by Diana, the Amazon Princess, on the finer points of being an immortal.


	2. Training a Godling

Rob God of Robotics Ch 2

Chapter 2: Training a Godling.

Chapter Summery: Rob is trained by Diana, the Amazon Princess, on the finer points of being an immortal. Vex Vector belongs to me. (But you can have him if you want him…)

Note: Rob's post-death speech at least partly inspired by Tasha Yar's speech at the end of the ST:TNG season 1 episode, "Skin of Evil".

_-_-_

The sun rose on another beautiful day on Themyscria, home of the immortal Amazons. The female warriors awoke to the sounds of exotic song birds and the scent of luscious fruit and colorful flowers. Each Amazon ate her breakfast and went about her daily routine as she had for over three thousand years.

For Diana, the princess, that meant helping in the gathering of food. Today, she was in the apple orchard, helping to pick the bright red, green, and yellow fruit as she floated above the ground.

She was in the middle of plucking one of the round fruits when Hermes appeared. Instantly, she flew to the ground and knelt before the messenger god, as the other Amazons in the grove also kneeled.

"Greetings, my daughters!" Hermes greeted them. "I have come to announce great tidings! For on Olympus there is now a _new _god! He was once a mortal, but was killed in battle, and is now the God of Robots and Robotics. I have been sent from Father Zeus to ask you, Princess Diana, to come to Olympus and teach the new godling his new role as an immortal. To do so, you must once again become the Goddess of Truth. But do not fear; it is only temporarily. Just long enough to teach him what he needs to know."

"But why call on me, Lord Hermes?" Diana asked. "Why can not one of the gods teach him?"

"Father Zeus felt that the youth would learn better if he was tutored by one who has been both a mortal and an immortal. And do not mention Hercules, Diana. Father Zeus does not want Robert to have a teacher who would challenge him to a wrestling match every few minutes. Our new godling has not the physical power for something like that. He is also both modest and shy."

"Hmmm…only temporary…" Diana mused. "Mother is not going to like this…"

"I know," Hermes answered. "But we would not ask this of you if it was not important."

"To teach a new godling how to be a god of Olympus…" Diana mused aloud, as if debating to go or not. But in truth, she had already made up her mind.

"Alright," Diana agreed. "I will have to tell Mother, of course. And as I said, she is not going to like the idea…"

"Just tell her what I told you," Hermes replied. "I will wait here, and take you to Olympus when you are ready."

"Very well," Diana said. She left the orchard for the royal palace.

_-_-_

"What!?!" Hippolyta cried in disbelief. She half-rose, half-leaped from her throne when her daughter told her what the messenger god had told Diana.

"It's only for a short time, Mother," the princess said. "And I would like to meet this 'God of Robots and Robotics'. He seems to be from a new Patriarch's World. A Patriarch's World at peace."

"If he died in battle, Daughter," the queen replied, "I very much doubt that is so."

"Hermes said it would only be temporary," Diana said. "Just long enough to teach this new godling about godhood."

"And how long will _that _take?"

"I do not know, Mother," Diana answered truthfully. "If the youth is as intelligent as Hermes says he is, maybe only a few days."

"And, of course, you are going to go through with it…" Hippolyta sighed. She slowly sat back down on her throne.

"Yes, Mother," Diana smiled.

"I thought as much," the queen replied, resigned that her daughter would be leaving the island of Amazons for a while. "Then go, with my blessing, and have a safe journey."

"Thank you, Mother," the princess said. She left the audience chamber and returned to the orchard.

_-_-_

Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus, the object of everyone's concern was looking into a large fountain of water. By his side was Eros, the god of love, who was already Rob's best friend among the Olympians.

"Tell me why we are watching the Pool of Scrying again?" Eros asked, his feathered wings bobbing up and down with every move of his shoulders. Unlike his Roman counterpart –who was always depicted as a baby—Eros was a full-grown youth. His blond hair was curled in tight ringlets, and his blue eyes sparkled like stars. At first glance, an observer would think that Eros was Rob, or that they might be brothers.

"I missed my funeral, Eros," Rob replied. "I want to at least see the reading of my will."

"_You_ have a will?" the love god's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, I do," Rob answered. "It concerns itself mostly with the Orbots, and who is to be their next commander."

As they watched, Dia and the Orbots filed into Rondu's office. Rob scowled when he saw a smug young man stop Dia as she was just about to enter the office.

"Who is that?" Eros asked.

"His name's Vex Vector," Rob answered in disgust. "He wants command of the Orbots, but he doesn't know anything about leadership. And he would _never_ take good care of the Orbots. Vex just wants the title so he can show off."

"You sound like you do not like him…" Eros commented.

"I don't," the other confirmed. They continued to watch the proceedings.

RONDU'S OFFICE:

"Why don't Commander Rondu just give the Orbots' command to me?" Vex asked, stopping Dia from entering the office. His slick, well-groomed black hair and his uniform immaculate as he smirked at the beautiful, silver-haired young woman.

"Because not just _anyone _can be the Orbots' Commander," Dia answered, irritated at Vex's arrogance, especially in the face of the death of the young hero. "The Orbots' Commander has to _care _about the people he protects, as well as the Orbots. _You _don't care about either." With that, Dia pushed past Vex and entered her father's office. The door slammed in the insufferable youth's face. Fuming, Vex leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, his face screwing up in an irritated pout.

Dia was surprised when she saw Andrea Jo Taylor, a young robotics engineer, sitting in the room. Why was the young woman here? Did she now know Rob's secret?

When everyone in the room was seated, Rondu moved to the front. In his hand was a black cube with a yellow grid on it, like a mono-colored Rubik's Cube. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"We are gathered here today to listen to the last will and testament of one of our own. A young man of great skill, talent, integrity, courage, and most of all, compassion. The Orbots' Commander and his Orbots came into our lives when we needed them the most. They saved us from the evils of Umbra and Shadow when no one else could, and have remained our strongest allies ever since.

"Now, we have lost the Orbots' Commander, in battle with the remains of those old enemies. He will be missed by all." Rondu's gaze went around the room.

"I will now play the last will and testament of the Orbots' Commander," Rondu announced. He went to a holo-vision tube that was behind him, and attached the cube he carried to the control panel. He pressed a few buttons, and the holo-tube lit up. Inside, a life-sized image of Rob appeared, in his Galactic Patrol uniform, and carrying his helmet.

"Hello, everyone," the image greeted cheerfully. "If you are watching this, it means that I'm dead, or otherwise unable to continue my duties. Chances are, I'm dead. It was probably while I was on duty, and quite possibly in battle. I can only hope that in the process, lives were saved and justice was done.

"The important thing now is to choose a new Orbots' Commander. I have given it a lot of thought lately: Who would lead the Orbots should anything happen to render me unable to continue as their commander? To make such a decision, we need to look at how and why I made my choice.

"I could go on and on about the mechanics of the Orbots, and how they are programmed and everything," the image continued. "But the bottom line is not their programming, or how they were designed and constructed, but that we trust each other completely. The secret of that trust is simple, and it's not just programming. Think of their design and construction like the making of a human, and you'll see it.

"Design equals conception; construction equals pregnancy; and activation equals birth." The image paused in its speech to allow this information to sink in. Then, it continued. "There's the secret of the trust the Orbots and I shared. I wasn't just their creator and commander; I was their father, as well. The love and trust we had was parent and children, not creator and robots, or leader and team.

"Which leads us to the reason we're here: Choosing the next Orbots' Commander. There is only one choice, you see. The Orbots have lost their father, so the choice of their next leader is simple; their mother."

"But…we don't have a mother!" Bort exclaimed. "Do we?"

"Not that I'm aware of…" Bo answered, just as puzzled.

"Yes, I know," Rob's image continued. "The Orbots have no 'literal' mother. But, given time, they would have received one. Had I and the woman I loved been able to marry, she would have been the Orbots' 'mother'. Unfortunately, that can't happen, now. But she is still the logical choice for leadership of the Orbots.

"Dia," the image continued speaking, "you are the only one I can trust to not only lead the Orbots, but to love and care for them, as if they were your own children. Please, accept the command I offer."

"Yes…" Dia nodded, her voice a whisper as tears ran down her cheeks. Her beloved was entrusting her with not only leading the Orbots, but for their care, as well.

"I know you are not a robotics engineer, Dia, and that the Orbots will need maintenance. I suggest A.J. Taylor. She's one of the finest robotics engineers I've ever seen. She'd be perfect to handle the practical side of things. Speaking of which…

"A.J., I would like for you to take over my lab, both at Galactic Patrol Headquarters, as well as the one at my house. I leave my house to Dia, so I suggest the two of you become roommates, as it were. The Orbots need you two to be as much as a team as they are.

"Dia, listen to the Orbots. They can teach you what you need to know. And they have great ideas, too, which can be very helpful in any situation.

"I guess that's all I needed to say. Keep up the fight, and someday, I'll see you in whatever afterlife there is to be had. Until then, this is Rob Simmons, Orbots' Commander, signing off." The image stood at attention and saluted, then faded as the recorded message ended.

"Well," Rondu said into the silence. "That's that. The new Orbots' Commander has been named. All she needs to do is accept the appointment." He smiled sadly as he approached his daughter. In his hand was the communicator of the Orbots' Commander. He motioned for her to stand up, which she did so.

"Do you, Dia, take the command of the Mighty Orbots, as requested by Robert Simmons, the late Orbots' Commander?" Rondu asked, offering the communicator to her.

"Yes, Father," Dia answered, forcing her voice to be clear and strong.

"Then," Rondu said, "by the power vested in me as the Commander of the Galactic Patrol, I present you with the communicator and rank of the Orbots' Commander." As Dia took the communicator and placed it on her own wrist, the Orbots came to stand beside her.

"Congratulations, Commander Dia!" Rondu finished. He saluted the new Orbots' Commander. Dia saluted back, and then relaxed as the Orbots congratulated her and welcomed her as their new leader.

MOUNT OLYMPUS:

"Atta girl, Dia!" Rob cheered. He and Eros continued to watch the scene to its conclusion. "I know you can do it!" The image of Dia in the pool seemed to start, as if she had heard something.

"Enjoying yourselves, boys?" a merry voice behind them asked. Rob and Eros whirled around to face Hermes and a beautiful, young woman in white and gold.

"Uh…hi, Hermes," Rob smiled. "We were just watching…"

"Rob's last will and testament," Eros finished.

"'Will'?" Hermes raised an eyebrow.

"Just making sure his last wishes as a mortal were being carried out," the love god explained.

"Ah," the messenger god nodded. "And those last mortal wishes were –if I may ask?"

"Only that a certain person is made the new Orbots' Commander," Rob smiled. "She was."

"'She'?" Hermes questioned.

"Dia," Rob answered. "The woman I love."

"Ah…"

"So _this _is the new godling!" the woman beside Hermes spoke up. Rob turned his attention to her –and found himself looking at a very beautiful, black-haired woman, in a short, white, Greek tunic. Gold pins held a long, blue, cape to the tunic, and a wide, gold belt held the tunic close to her body. The gold belt had large "Double Ws" on it. At her forehead was a band of gold, pointing slightly downward in the middle. On her forearms were large, gold bracers, while simple, gold sandals finished the outfit.

"Diana, princess of the Amazons of Themyscria, meet Robert Simmons, once the Orbots' Commander, now God of Robots and Robotics," Hermes introduced grandly.

"'Amazons'?" Rob asked. "Themyscria? And you look familiar, somehow…"

"Try twentieth and twenty-first century history," Eros advised. "And imagine a red top with gold double Ws, a wide gold belt, and a blue, star-spangled bottom. Add a gold, double-pointed, red-starred tiara, a golden lasso, and a pair of silver manacle bracelets, and I think you know who she is…"

"A star-spangled costume, golden lasso, silver bracelets…" Rob thought for a moment. "Wonder Woman?" he asked. "_She's_ Wonder Woman?"

"That's her!" his friend grinned at him.

"And she is your tutor in godhood," Hermes added.

"Lucky!" Eros grinned at Rob. The new, young god only blushed.

"We should start as soon as possible," Diana said, ignoring Eros' comment. "So, if you are finished watching the concerns of your past life being filled out…"

"Uh…sure…" Rob replied shyly.

"Then, let's get started," she said. She motioned for him to join her. He moved to do so, and the two exited the room.

"How well do you think he'll learn?" Eros asked as he watched his new friend leave with the Amazon princess.

"He is intelligent, Eros," Hermes replied. "And his heart belongs to another. He will keep focused on his lessons."

Eros nodded in agreement.

_-_-_

As Diana had surmised, it only took a few days to teach Rob all he needed to know about godhood. He learned that he had grown in physical power, as well as the basic powers of an Immortal. He enjoyed flight, especially, since outer space was where he felt the most free. In his mortal life, he could only do so in the Beamcar, or Mighty Orbots, or some space craft. Now, however, he could fly to whatever planet took his fancy, without aid of any kind of space vehicle or spacesuit.

His favorite powers, though, was the ones that he had as the god of robots and robotics. He loved to practice his ability to create statues at a thought, and to bring them to life. He never recreated the Orbots, though. They would join him soon enough as it was.

The final test of his powers came when several piles of materials was placed before him. There was iron, gold, wood, granite, and marble. All around him were the Olympians, and Diana was at his side.

"Robert," Zeus proclaimed, "you must now create statues from the materials placed in front of you. A god or goddess will give you a statue to create from a certain material, and you will create that statue and bring it to life, with as much free will as your Orbots."

"Ready?" Hera asked Rob.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then we will begin," Zeus said. "First among us, speak the material and the statue."

"Granite," Hades commanded. "Make a statue of a scholar."

Rob concentrated on the gray stone, and slowly, it formed the figure of a man in a Galactic Patrol uniform. Another thought, and the statue came to life.

"Hello, boy," the statue said. "Been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has, Ranick," Rob answered.

"_That _is a scholar!?" Ares questioned.

"Ranick was my teacher in the Galactic Patrol," Rob answered. "He taught me everything I know about being a GP officer."

"Scholars come in all shapes and sizes, Ares," Hades smiled.

"Hmmph!" the war god grumbled. "Well, I now present him with a statue to create: Iron! Create a warrior!"

Rob thought for a moment, and then concentrated on the black metal. It took the form of a samurai-looking warrior with a tri-lensed shield.

"Kadron," Rob explained. "A Shadow agent Mighty Orbots defeated. Of course, this one is no where near Kadron's real size. Kadron was as big as Mighty Orbots."

"Well," Athena commented. "That _is_ a warrior. For mine, use the marble to make a statue of the wisest person you know."

"That's easy enough," Rob smiled. He turned his attention onto the marble and instantly created a statue of a certain Elvadorian man.

"Rondu," he smiled. "The wisest man I ever knew. Closest thing to a father I ever had."

"Wisdom can come from many places," Demeter smiled. "For me, use the wood, and create an animal."

At Rob's thought, the wood took the form of a dragon.

"The Dragon of Targon," he said. "Bo, Bort, and Crunch found a jewel on the planet Targon, and the dragon hatched from it."

"Beautifully done!" Aphrodite smiled. "Now, for the gold. Create a statue of the most beautiful woman in the universe!"

The statue that was formed was that of Dia. Aphrodite was stunned that he would create the statue of the mortal Elvadorian woman, and not of Aphrodite, herself.

"He's in _love_, Mother!" Eros laughed. "Of course _she's_ the most beautiful woman in the universe to him!"

Rob blushed and smiled sheepishly, hoping that he had not offended the goddess of love and beauty. But he was in love with Dia, and to him, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever known. He need not have worried, though. Aphrodite gave him a reassuring smile.

"Well done, Robert!" Zeus commented grandly. "You have learned your lessons well!"

"Thanks, Father Zeus," Rob smiled back.

"And," Hera added, "I know where to put all these statues."

"Yes," Zeus agreed. "It is time that Robert got his own, private quarters on Olympus."

"'Private quarters'?" Rob asked, puzzled.

"Even _we_ need places to go to in order rest and relax and recharge our powers," Hermes answered. "A private place just to be by ourselves or to entertain guests."

"And it is time that you got your private place," Hera said.

Zeus rose from his throne and placed his arm around Rob's shoulder. He led the new, young god to the edge of the royal palace. Instantly, a doorway in the air –what Rob might call a wormhole—opened, allowing both Zeus and Rob to enter the area beyond the swirling gate.

On the other side was space as Rob had known it –endless black, filled with stars, planets, nebulas, and more. Floating in this space was an "island", clean of any impurities. Lush plants and a thriving animal life was everywhere. In the center was a palace, Greek-style, but with influences from both the 23rd Century and the Galactic Patrol.

"It's…amazing…" Rob breathed. He gazed at his new palace in wonder.

"And that is just the _outside_!" Zeus laughed, amused at the young godling's reaction. "The _inside_ is even _more_ spectacular!" The king led Rob into the building.

Indeed, the inside of the palace was as grand as the main Olympian palace, with 23rd century designs and those of ancient Greece mingling to create a unique interior. Books and scrolls filled an expansive library; a long table filled the banquet hall; and the "living room" had several of the same kind of couches that had been in the Olympian palace. Each couch had a table next to it.

Around the room –and indeed, every room had them—were statues of marble or gold, each representing a beautiful young man or woman. Against one wall were the statues Rob had created and brought to life for his tests. The golden statue of Dia was in a place of honor.

"The statues are your servants," Zeus told him. "A wave of your hand and they will come to life to serve you. But you will also need guards."

"The guards have already been chosen, Father Zeus," Rob answered. "When their time comes, the Orbots, themselves, will be my guards."

The other gods and goddesses joined the two, welcoming the new godling to his new home. Eros showed him a fountain that was a smaller version of the Pool of Scrying.

"You can look in on your Orbots –and anyone you want—through this," Eros said. Rob looked into the fountain, and an image of Dia appeared, getting ready for her first mission with the Orbots.

"You can do it, Dia," Rob encouraged from afar. "Just do your best. You'll get the hang of it." Again, the image of Dia seemed to start, looking around for the source of a voice only she could hear. This time, Rob noticed her expression.

"The two of you are linked by the love you share," Eros told him. "She can hear you, but you need to learn to focus your thoughts. It works best when she's asleep. In the dream world, you can communicate with her as easily as if you were in the same room. If you like, I can teach you how to do it so you can visit her in her dreams."

"Thanks, Eros," Rob smiled. "I'd like that." He turned back to the image in the fountain.

_We'll be together soon, _Rob thought. _First, in your dreams, and later, when you come to Olympus._

_-_-_

Next Chapter: Immortal Meeting. Rob Simmons, the God of Robotics, sees his double –a living Rob Simmons—in the Scrying Pool, and decides to contact him. And Vex Vector plans revenge.


	3. Immortal Meeting

Chapter 3: Immortal Meeting

Chapter Summery: Rob Simmons, the God of Robotics, sees his double –a living Rob Simmons—in the Scrying Pool, and decides to contact him. And Vex Vector is found out. (He plots revenge in the next chapter…)

Note: Lynnda gave me an idea about Rob and Dia. The alternate universe that Eros and Rob visit is the one from my "Shadow Mirror Saga" fanfiction. Although not necessary for the enjoyment of this fic, you might want to read the "Shadow Mirror Saga" anyway, just see who Hoshi Me is, and how he came to be.

_-_-_

Dia tossed and turned in her bed, haunted by dreams of her deceased love. It had been but three weeks since the Orbots' Commander had been buried, entombed within an impenetrable block of stone. She would soon attend a second funeral, she knew, one for Robert Simmons, the robotics engineer. This second burial would be of a dummy of Rob, to hide the fact that Rob Simmons had been the Orbots' Commander.

The cover story was already planned: Rob –haven taken time off to mourn for his friend—would be the victim of a hover car accident. Rob's "body" –very badly burned—would be given a quick burial. Only his mother and surviving siblings would know the truth, along with Rondu, Dia, and the Orbots.

But tonight, she dreamed of Rob. In the dream, he came to her bedside, dressed in a classical Greek tunic, trimmed in gold, with gold Greek sandals. In a golden "holster", there hung a golden screwdriver with a robot-shaped handle.

Next to him stood a youth, also in classical Greek clothes, with tightly-curled blond hair, and huge, feathered wings. He was armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Dia," the dream image of Rob said softly.

"R…r…rob…?" Dia whispered in her sleep. "But you're dead! How can you be here, now?"

"How much can I tell her, Eros?" Rob asked the winged youth.

"You can tell her what happened to you, and where you are, but not what will happen to her, or anyone else," Eros answered. "Apollo doesn't like it when anyone spoils the future."

"Oh," Rob replied. To Dia, he said, "When I died, Dia, my soul took a detour to Mount Olympus. I am now the Greek God of Robotics." He gave her one of his charming, cocky grins as he said the last.

"'God of Robotics'?" Dia questioned, her brow furrowing as she slept.

"Yeah," he replied. "Who'da thought, huh?" He noticed light from the window. "It's morning, Dia. I need to go and you need to start your day. I'll talk to you again tonight." Rob leaned forward and kissed Dia's partly-opened mouth. He then slowly backed away until both he and Eros faded from her dream.

Dia awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright, her breath coming in heavy pants. Sweat poured down her face as she stared at the patterns of sunlight on the bedcovers.

"It couldn't be!" she gasped into the morning air. "Could it?" Slowly, her brushed her lips, where _he_ had left his "gift". They tingled softly, as if reacting from contact with another's lips.

Impossible! Wasn't it?

_-_-_

Eros and Rob gazed into the Scrying Pool, watching Dia as she wrestled with her latest dream. The winged god of love turned to his friend and smiled.

"You did well for your first contact," he said.

"Thanks," Rob smiled back. "I just wish there was more I could do."

"Well…" Eros began, "there _is _actually appearing before her…"

"I can _do _that?" Rob startled.

"Sure!" The love god grinned. "You can even father a child with her!"

"I _**CAN**_!?!"

"Of course!" Eros laughed. "Ask Zeus. Just don't ask him in front of Hera. She gets very PO'd if anyone mentions Zeus' 'others'."

"Oh. Okay," Rob blinked as these thoughts ran through his mind. He could still father a child? Then again, he remembered that a lot of heroes of classical Greece were products of one of the gods and a mortal woman –and Zeus held the record for the most demi-gods fathered!

While he was contemplating this possibility, the image changed into something startling –something he could not understand.

In the pool was the image of a family –a father, a mother, a teenaged youth, and a baby. The scene was a fairly normal one, like thousands of other family scenes all over the galaxy.

Except that the mother was Dia, and the father was –him?!?

What was going on?

"That is another universe," Eros answered Rob's unspoken question. "In _that _universe, you still live, and you married your Dia. The baby is your –or his, rather—daughter, and the boy is his son."

"Son? But he doesn't look old enough to have a son that age."

"Long story," Eros replied. "You can view it in the Pool, but there are parts that are not very pleasant."

"I'll chance it," Rob replied. "I want to know about this universe where I'm still alive and with a family."

"Okay," Eros sighed. He waved his hand over the clear water, and the scene changed. Rob and Eros watched as the alternate Rob Simmons' life replayed, like a recorded video.

When the scenes finished, and returned to the image of that other universe's Rob and Dia, Rob stared at it in quiet though. Had he not died, his own life could have been similar, with Dia as his wife, and a tiny daughter to love. He snapped out of his musings.

"I want to meet them, if that's possible," he said.

"It _is _possible," Eros told him. "A simple matter of dimensional displacement –universe hopping, you might call it. I'll show you how."

"Thanks," Rob smiled.

THE OTHER UNIVERSE…

Rob Simmons played with his son, inventing games so that the boy could practice his darkness manipulation powers. Each item he created became more detailed than the last.

Nearby, Dia sat and rocked with little Ria. She watched as her husband spent some quality time with the black-haired boy sitting with his legs spread wide on the floor, like a child with a floor full of toys who did not know what to play with first.

In the boy's hands, the form of a certain robot took shape. Every tiny micro-meter of the toy was a perfect replica of Mighty Orbots. The only thing different was that the toy robot was all black. The details –although all there—were difficult to make out.

"You're doing fine, Hoshi," Rob smiled.

"Thank you, Daddy," the youth said, his voice sounding very much like a little boy, although he looked like a grown teenager. "I wish I could make other colors, though," he added with a pout.

"I wish there was a way you could, too," his father replied. "Your mother says that her father can do the same thing as you, but with light. He might know of a way to teach you how to manipulate light as well as darkness."

Suddenly, a light appeared in the living room. Both father and son moved to shield Dia and Ria as two figures stepped through the light and into the house. When the light faded, two young men stood in front of them.

Both were blond, and dressed in classical Greek clothes. One young man had large, feathered wings and carried a bow. The other young man, however…

Rob felt like he was looking in a mirror!

"Hello," the youth smiled. "I'm the Rob Simmons of another universe. This is Eros, Greek God of Love. But it's a real long story, so maybe we should sit down…"

"Sure…" the other Rob nodded. Both Robs, Eros, and Hoshi all settled in for the tale.

_-_-_

"You are a _**GOD**_?!?" the mortal Rob gasped.

"Yep!" his divine double grinned. "I can bring statues and figures to life, and give them the same kind of intelligence as the Orbots."

"Could you make my robot come alive?" Hoshi asked, holding up the toy.

"Sure," the Greek Rob replied. He tapped the head of the black robot. A shimmer from his finger ran down the length of the toy. In response, the eyes of the toy lit up in a bright blue.

"Hi, Hoshi!" the mini-Mighty Orbots said, its lips forming into a smile.

"Hi!" the boy gleefully replied.

"How long will that last?" Dia asked.

"I don't know," the godling replied. "In my universe, it would be permanent, unless I undid it. But here in a _different _universe…" he looked over to Eros. The love god shook his head.

"I'm afraid not," the winged youth answered. "Since we are but visitors to this universe, the toy will only remain alive while we are here. When we return to our own dimension, it will revert to normal. We only have permanent influence in our own universe."

"Awww…." Hoshi pouted sadly.

"Sorry, kiddo," the immortal Rob apologized kindly. "If it were possible, I'd let it remain alive for you."

"Thanks, anyway," the boy replied, giving a shy smile.

"We need to go," Eros said quietly. "We shouldn't stay in this universe too long. It could cause problems in the space-time continuum."

"Really?" the young godling asked. "Or have you been watching sci-fi movies again?"

"Did Hermes tell you I liked science fiction?"

"He might have mentioned it," the immortal Rob grinned as his friend.

"I thought as much," the other replied. "And yes, the space-time continuum could develop problems if we stay too long, so we should get going."

"Okay," the Greek Rob replied. To the mortal Rob and his family he said, "Well, it was nice meeting you. If it's at all possible, I might drop by again."

"Sure," his double replied. Eros and godling Rob arose from their seats. The golden light again appeared behind them.

"See ya!" he grinned, giving the family a wink. Then he and Eros walked into the light and disappeared.

MOUNT OLYMPUS

A light shone brightly in Rob's palace, and he and Eros emerged from it. The light faded as Rob approached his Scrying Pool.

"It's night, and Dia's in bed," Rob said. "I just appear to her like I did in that other universe?"

"Yes," the love god answered. "Just like that."

"Okay," Rob nodded. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He disappeared from view.

DIA'S ROOM

Dia watched as Rob appeared beside her bed. He glowed golden from his godhood, but his stance was at ease, even casual. He smiled at her.

"Hi, Dia," he greeted.

"Hello…Rob," she answered, not sure if she was not dreaming. She held out her hand tentatively, as if expecting empty air. He held out his own hand to meet hers.

Her hand touched a solid form!

"You…you're really here?" she stammered, unable to believe her senses.

"Yes, darling," he smiled. "I'm really here."

Instantly, she was in his arms and her lips pressed to his in a passionate kiss.

When she pulled away to breathe, she whispered, "I never thought I'd hold you again!"

"I know," he whispered. "And there's something else…" He whispered in her ear as his hands explored her.

"Yes!" she gasped. Engulfed in another passionate embrace, the lovers sank to the bed. Dia would lose track of time, and by morning, Rob would be gone.

_-_-_

Rondu sat in his office, going over the list of agents who had been assigned to the raid on the Shadow Haven on that fateful day. Something about it bothered him.

Yes, it was there, plain as day. The Orbots and their Commander were on the list, at the very top. By why? Rondu had given orders that the Orbots team was _not _to be sent in. So why were they?

The answer lay in who had compiled the list. And Rondu had thought the young man could be trusted!

_Vex Vector, _Rondu thought. _Why didn't I detect it? Surely, I would have picked up on his emotions, if not his surface thoughts. He had a motive. _Rondu sighed. _I must be getting old…_

A golden light appeared in the office. Rondu shielded his eyes as a figure stepped out the blinding brilliance.

A very _familiar_ figure.

"Rob?" the Elvadorian man spoke in disbelief.

"Rondu," the golden-haired youth said, "we need to talk. About Dia…"

_-_-_

Vex Vector walked toward the Galactic Patrol Headquarters building, confident of himself. The Orbots' Commander was gone, and before long, Dia will fail. Then, a _new _Orbots' Commander would have to be chosen. And _that _new Commander was sure to be _him_!

A group of Galactic Patrol officers approached him.

"Vex Vector," their leader said, "you are to come with us. Commander Rondu wants to speak to you about the list of agents you compiled three weeks ago. The one of the officers that went to check out that Shadow Haven…"

Vex startled. He _knew_! Rondu knew about him adding the Orbots and their leader to the roster of officers for that Shadow Haven assignment. While Vex could not be held responsible for the death of the Orbots' Commander, he still had gone against orders. He could, therefore, be court-marshaled for insubordination. And Rondu would make certain that the charges would stick!

In an instant, Vex vanished, leaving a group of confused officers in his wake. They frantically looked around for the arrogant youth.

"He teleported!" the leader cried.

"He could not have gone far," another replied. "His teleportation only works for short distances, and takes a lot of energy to use."

Indeed. Vex's people did have the power of teleportation. But due to the amount of energy the power used, it was only used in emergencies. In compensation for the high energy use, line-of-sight was not necessary for teleportation. In the short time that the alarm was sounded, Vex was already aboard a Galactic Patrol spaceship and soaring into space.

_-_-_

Urbanos was the most densely-populated planet in the galaxy. Completely urban and stuck in a perpetual night, it was filled with all the glitter and sparkle of city life.

Bars were everywhere on Urbanos, offering every kind of alcoholic drink imaginable. The legal drinking age is rumored to be lower on Urbanos than any other planet in the galaxy –thought to be around the age of seventeen.

One of the most frequented bars was Daiya's Bar. The building, itself, was like any other building on the planet; tall and built of bricks of some highly-durable material. The sign out front was a beautiful, scantily-clad Asian woman. In her right hand was a purple bottle, and in her left was a pink bottle. At her feet was a basket, overflowing with purple and pink peach-like fruit.

The man who approached the doors was dressed from head to toe in black. A thin, red, wide-necked "V" stretched from one shoulder to the other. At his right hip was a blaster pistol. He swaggered into the bar.

Inside, tending the long bar, was Daiya, herself. One look at her, and one would see that she was the woman in the sign. She smiled at her newest customer.

"The usual, Hawk?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And a private booth and goblet."

"Sure," she replied. She took two bottles, of each color, from a shelf and handed them to the man. She then grabbed a goblet from another shelf. "Celebration?"

"Mourning," he answered simply.

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay."

As she led the way to the booth, a newscaster came onto the holo-vision with the latest report.

"_It has been nearly a month since the death of the Orbots' Commander. Worlds in mourning for the loss of our hero has resulting in numerous memorials, from simple statues to memorial parks and museum wings in his name._

"_In other news, renowned robotics engineer, Robert Simmons, was tragically killed in a hover-car accident while visiting his family home. His badly-burned body will be laid to rest in the cemetery on the family's property. Robert Simmons was taking a sabbatical while in mourning for his friend, the Orbots' Commander, when the accident occurred."_

Hawk settled himself into the booth and closed it, sealing himself in and giving himself badly-needed privacy. As soon as it was safe to do so, he removed his helmet.

Anyone who had met the late Robert Simmons would swear that the man sitting in the booth was him. But his blond hair was tipped in black and red, giving rise to his nickname –Bloodhawk.

Hawk poured a gobletfull of the purple drink. Taking it in hand, he raised the crystal glass to the air in a salute.

"From Bloodhawk to the Orbots' Commander: Rest in Peace, friend."

Hawk downed the drink, the refilled the goblet with the pink liquid. Again, he raised the glass in a salute.

"From Barry to Rob: Rest in Peace –bro."

Just as he downed the second drink, he received a call on the booth's communications unit, relayed to him from the computer on his ship. The purple and pink drinks –made from the peach-like Murasaki and Pinku fruits—had a unique quality about them. Something in the alien fruits allowed the effects of the alcohol made from them easily counter-acted by simple water. At least, for Earth humans and Elvadorians. For other species, it was an entirely different matter.

Which is why there was a shot glass full of water also on the table. Hawk picked it up and drank the cool, clear liquid. Immediately, the effects of the alcohol that had began to set in were quickly cured. Hawk then punched the communicator button.

"Go ahead," he said as tuned in the caller. "It's your five credits."

"Bloodhawk," the unmistakable voice of Rondu said, "you are needed on Earth. Code: Starbird."

At those words, Bloodhawk opened the booth, quickly paid Daiya, and raced to the spaceport. In moments, _The Starbird _was soaring through space, towards Earth.

_-_-_

Chapter 4: Dia Ascends. Dia has her babies, but dies in childbirth. Barry becomes the third Orbots' Commander, and Vex is a fugitive.


	4. Dia Ascends

Chapter 4: Dia Ascends

Chapter Summery: Dia has her babies, but dies in childbirth. Barry becomes the third Orbots' Commander, and Vex is a fugitive.

_-_-_

Bloodhawk walked up the steps to the Galactic Patrol Headquarters building, followed closely by a pair of female robots, one gold, one silver. Some of those they passed as they walked the halls had to take a second, longer look at the two girl-bots, for they believed they were seeing double of the Orbot known as Bo!

Those that recognized the flightsuit and helmet of Bloodhawk the bounty hunter gave them a wide berth. No one wanted to get involved with the space hunter, although a few wondered why he was here.

Did Commander Rondu have an assignment for Bloodhawk? If so, what could it be? Maybe it was to bring in Vex Vector, the fugitive Galactic Patrol officer.

As Bloodhawk was about to enter the elevator that was to take him to Rondu's floor, a video screen flashed a vid-wanted poster, getting his attention. He and the robots turned toward the screen.

On the screen was the face of a young man with slicked-back black hair, wearing a Galactic Patrol officer's uniform. Rondu's voice, following the words that appeared on the screen, spoke:

"WANTED: VEX VECTOR. For crimes against the Galactic Patrol, including insubordination, resisting arrest, and starship theft. Last known whereabouts: Leaving Earth's atmosphere, heading for space.

"If you see this criminal, do not attempt to apprehend. Contact the nearest Galactic Patrol station and give them the information.

"Vector may be armed, and very dangerous, plus he has the ability to teleport."

Behind the helmet, unseen by anyone, Bloodhawk's eyes narrowed. Rondu had relayed the information about Vex Vector while the hunter was enroute to Earth –including the part not mentioned in the wanted poster. That Vex –however indirectly it was—was responsible for the death of the Orbots' Commander! A moment later, Bloodhawk and his companions entered the elevator, and the door closed behind them.

Upon reaching the correct floor, the three of them made their way to Rondu's office, passing other officers going about their normal business. None suspected the turn of events that would change everything so much.

When Bloodhawk and his robots entered the office, they found that the Galactic Patrol Commander was not alone. With him was Dia, A.J. Thomas, and the Orbots. At the sight of the gold and silver girl-bots, the Orbots looked at them in confusion, giving the orange girl-Orbot comparing glances.

"Long story," was all Bloodhawk told them. "I'll tell ya later." He turned to Rondu. "Have you told 'em yet?"

"No," the older man answered. "We were waiting for you to arrive."

"Might as well get this part over with," the bounty hunter sighed. Slowly, he removed his helmet, shaking out his blond, black and red-tipped hair. As soon as he turned his head to look at the Orbots, they gave him expressions of astonishment, confusion, wonder, --and joy.

"Rob?" Oh-No said, a mix of puzzlement and hope in her voice as she approached the bounty hunter.

"Sorry, honey," Bloodhawk apologized sadly. "I ain't him." He looked to the others. "The name's Barry. I'm Rob's twin brother. Simply put, if he was your dad, them I'm your uncle." He now turned to Rondu. "What's the situation?"

"A very astonishing thing has happened regarding Rob. Something that may be very difficult to explain…"

"Then maybe _I _should be the one to explain, Rondu," a voice said calmly. Barry, A.J., and the robots looked around the room, attempting to pinpoint the voice's source. They saw none, but the voice, itself, was unmistakable.

"Bobby?!?" Barry whispered in a voice beginning to hope. "You're alive!?!"

"Not in the way you think," Rob's voice answered. In a starburst of blue-white light, Rob appeared, dressed in his Olympian finery. A softly-glowing aura surrounded his body.

"ROB!" Barry and the Orbots cried together. On-No ran to her creator-father and hugged him about the knees. He grinned and stooped to lift her into his arms.

"I've missed you, too, sweet baby," he said softly. "_All _of you," he added, turning his gaze to encompass the others.

"Then, you can retake command of Mighty Orbots and…" Bo began, but stopped when Rob shook his head, "No".

"I'm afraid not," he answered. "And it has to do with what I need to tell you. Sit down and get settled in. It's quite a story…"

_-_-_

"…and that's it," Rob finished some time later. He picked up a metal ore paperweight Rondu had on his desk –more for decorative purposes than actual function, since paper was rarely used in the 23rd century—and held it in his left hand. As he held his right hand over the ore, the metal began to change shape. Soon, a shinning ballerina stood balanced on Rob's palm. He tapped it on the head, and the metal doll began to dance, moving as fluidly and as gracefully as a living girl.

"Wow!" was all Bo could say.

"And that's only the _least _of what I can do," Rob smiled. He gently sat the doll on Rondu's desk, where she continued to dance. "But that's not why we're here," he continued. "I have exercised a –well, I really don't know what to call it…"

"How about 'your godly privilege'?" a voice suggested.

"Eros!" Rob cried in exasperation. The winged love god appeared next to him and grinned.

"Well, it is," Eros laughed. Rob blushed deeply. "For some reason, Mother thinks the blushing is cute on you…"

"Put simply," Rob continued, rolling his eyes at his friend, "I appeared to Dia, and now, she's –uh—pregnant."

"And now, we need a plausible way to explain it to the public," Rondu said.

"Why?" Bort asked. "Not that Rob is back—"

"To the public, the original Orbots' Commander is dead and buried –as is Robert Simmons. There is no way his return –in _either _identity—could be explained," Rondu told them. "And to reveal his current status might cause a panic. Mostly in the religious sectors of society. Thus, it must be kept secret."

"And to keep Dia and her unborn child out of danger," Oro said, "You need a new leader."

"And I'm elected," Barry grinned at them.

"As for the cover story," Rob added. "I think I have one. Before I 'died', I –as the Orbots' Commander—attended the Elvadorian Spring Festival. At the time, Dian and I disappeared for some time. As I understand it, children conceived during he Spring Festival are considered to be the children of a wedded couple, even if the man and woman were not married. Correct?"

"Yes," Rondu answer, "that is true."

"Even though nothing actually happened at the time of our 'disappearance', nobody knows that. Why not, then, can we say the Orbots' Commander conceived the babies on that night?"

"Brilliant!" Tor grinned.

"But," Plata asked, "how do you know it's 'babies', and not 'baby'? How do you know that there's more than one?"

"I can _feel _them," Dia answered. "_Both _of them…"

"Well," Barry said, "with you on maternity leave, I'd better take my place as the Orbots' Commander. Thankfully, Rob gave me an omni-suit for my birthday last year, so…"

Barry pressed a hidden button in his collar and his flightsuit changed. It kept the same style, but the black was now white, and the red was now magenta, mirroring the colors of Rob's original uniform.

"I added this," he said, his now white and magenta helmet in the crook of one arm, "for the time when something would happen to Rob, and I was needed to lead the Orbots. The two of us were trained together to be your commander, but he won. I would remain 'on call' as a back up, in case of an emergency."

"When I made my recorded will," Rob continued, "I wasn't sure of were Barry was, or even if he could be reached. And I was very much in love with Dia, so she seemed a natural to take over if something happened to me." He turned to Barry and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, bro…"

"It's okay, Bobby," his twin smiled back. "I _have _been busy chasing bounties across the galaxy. Rondu must have sensed where I was when he called." Rondu smiled and nodded.

"What about _those _two?" Bo asked, pointing toward the gold and silver robots. "_Where _did they come from, and _why _do they look like me?"

"While we trained, Bobby showed me you Orbots," Barry grinned. "When I saw you, I have to admit, I was attracted to you. I know it sounds strange that a human was attracted to a robot, but I was. When I lost your leadership to Bobby, I had him to build me a robot companion based on your designed. He surprised me with _two_: The gold, Oro, and the silver, Plata."

"Gold and silver in Spanish," Oh-No said. Barry nodded.

"You always _was _the ladies man, Barry," Rob laughed. Barry just grinned and winked.

"I know," Eros half-complained, "and I don't have to do anything to start it. It just happens. He attracts women like your alter ego used to. It's no fun when it's _that _easy!"

"I thought you like it when people got together romantically," Rob smiled at his friend.

"I do,' Eros laughed, showing that he really was not upset. "But I like to _start _romances. Barry can do it without even trying." He turned to Dia and added, "Just for the record, the love between you and Rob is _real_. Neither I, nor Mother had anything to do with it." She smiled and sighed with what seemed to be relief.

"So," Rob said, "to summarize: Dia is pregnant by the Orbots' Commander from a tryst with him during the Elvadorian Spring Festival, just before he died. Because of the pregnancy, a new Orbots' Commander has been chosen to lead the team: My brother, Barry Simmons."

"A.k.a., Bloodhawk," Barry added. "Who, until further notice, is 'hanging up his guns' –figuratively, of course—while he assumes command."

"Right," Rob grinned at his twin. "Looks like that's it. Time for Eros and me to get back to Olympus."

"Will you be back?" Oh-No asked.

"Sure I will, Oh-No," Rob smiled. I'll visit as much as I can. I have a family to look after, you know."

"Selena will have to be told about this," Rondu said. "She will want to help care for Dia and the babies."

"'Selena'?" Barry asked.

"The Chief Healer of Elvador," Rondu explained. "She is also my wife and Dia's mother. And no, we are not divorced. Only our careers keep us apart."

"What about Elvador?" Rob asked. "Won't they be reluctant to let their Chief Healer go?"

"Yes," Rondu admitted, "but Selena has the final say on the matter, and she will want to be here for Dia and the children."

"Okay, then," Rob nodded. "I'll see you all later. And A.J.," he turned briefly toward the robotics engineer, "don't worry too much about damage. I'll be helping you repair the Orbots from Olympus." With that, Rob and Eros disappeared in starbursts of light.

_-_-_

As promised, Rob visited as much as he could, using his healing powers to ease any pain or discomfort Dia would have. He would entertain Dia, Rondu, Selena, A.J., Barry, and the robots with tales of his adventures on Olympus. He told them about his "godhood training" and about the test "robots" he had to make. The young godling smiled as he described the gold statue of Dia, and why he had chosen to make the statue of her, instead of Aphrodite. Dia blushed warmly by Rob's display of affection.

"Are we there, too?" Boo asked.

"Not yet, Boo," he replied. "I can't say anything more about it. To tell you more would upset the future."

"Ohh…" Boo blinked, attempting to understand the truth behind he words. She wondered what he was not telling them.

Now that Barry was the new Orbots' Commander, Oro and Plata was put under Selena's command as her helpers. The three, together, would care for Dia, as well as for the babies when they arrived.

Selena was a very kindly woman, and a gentle healer. She was surprised to learn the truth behind the conception of the twins Dia would soon give birth to. She was astonished when she met Rob, and then Eros –who often came with his friend when Rob visited.

Artemis also visited, for she was also the goddess of childbirth, as well as for the hunt. The red-haired deity had taken special interest in Dia, since the father was Olympus' newest addition. Aphrodite, as well, often visited, for she had all but adopted Rob as her son. And any child of Rob would be her "grandchild".

Between the four Olympians, the Elvadorian Healer, Rondu, Barry, A.J., and the eight robots, Dia was well-taken care of.

_-_-_

Rob was in his palace when the day came for the babies' birth. He was using his repair power to mend a statue that had broken when a drunken Dionysus –visiting Rob to drink to the godling's upcoming fatherhood—stumbled into the statue and caused it to fall. The girl statue shattered upon hitting the floor. The god of wine and apologized many times for the damage, but Rob had assured him that the statue was repairable.

He had just completed he repair and was admiring his work, when Hermes entered the palace.

"Robert," he declared. "It's time. Your babies are about to be born."

Rob hurried after the messenger god to Zeus' palace. He could not _**WOULD **_not—miss this for the entire universe.

They found all the gods and goddesses assembled before the Scrying Pool, watching the proceedings intently. They glanced his way when he entered, then made room for him to stand at the front, where he would get the best view.

Eros moved to stand beside him, giving the young godling a reassuring grin. Dionysus passed them goblets of his best wine to celebrate the birth of the new demi-gods.

"'Demi-gods'?" Rob mused aloud. "Of course. The offspring of a god or goddess and a mortal is a demi-god. Hmmm…demi-gods are known to have incredible powers. I wonder what these babies will have…"

"Well," Athena replied, "the Elvadorian powers that they will get from their mother, of course, but what they will get from you is not clear. And the powers may or may not manifest themselves all at once. Only time will tell what powers they will have."

Rob nodded, and turned his attention back to the pool, watching the birth of his first flesh-and-blood children.

GALACTIC PATROL HOSPITAL

Dia sucked in her breath as she struggled to give birth. As an Elvadorian, there was no pain during labor, but she still had to push to get the babies out. Her mother attended her as doctor and midwife, with Oro and Plata serving as nurses. Rondu, Barry, A.J. and the Orbots sat in the waiting room.

"I'm worried," Boo said. "Dia hasn't been feeling well these past few days. I'm afraid her illness will affect the babies."

"But Selena will make sure nothing bad happens," Bo pointed out.

"And Rob and the Olympians are watching," Barry added. "They won't anything happen to Dia or the babies…"

MOUNT OLYMPUS

"Unless the Fates decree otherwise," Demeter said, finishing Barry's train of thought.

"'The Fates'?" Rob asked.

"The Fates are the ones that decide how long each person's life is to be," Artemis answered. "It is they that spin the thread of life, measure it, and –when the time comes—cuts the thread to end the life."

"Even Zeus cannot deny the Fates," Hera added. The king of the gods nodded.

"Something has happened!" Aphrodite cried, pointing to the pool.

Everyone turned to see what had caused her alarm.

Rob was stunned at what he saw.

GP HOSPITAL

"The birth was just too much for her," Selena told them, attempting o keep her own composure. Oro and Plata each held a bundle.

"Dia gave them names before she died," Oro said. "This boy, she named Robert, after his father."

"And the girl," Plata added, "is named Alexia."

"A form of the name Alexanderia," Oh-No said, still in shock over Dia's death. "It' Greek, and means 'defender of mankind'."

"Who will raise them?" Bort asked.

"We _all _will," Barry answered. "We are all family –_his _family—Dia's family, and the babies' family. And we will remain that way."

"Barry is right," Rondu nodded. "We must stay together if we are to rise above this tragedy. I will make the funeral arrangements. She will be buried next to Rob's _real _body –that of the _first_ Orbots' Commander."

They watched him go, knowing that he was hurting as much as the rest of them. They hoped that Rob –so far away on Olympus—also knew of what had happened.

_-_-_

He did indeed know of Dia's death. He, too, had grieved over her loss, gaining courage and resolve only when Eros reminded him of something he had forgotten in his moment of grief.

"She'll be coming to Olympus," the god of love had said. "To be with you, if she so desires. And I have to doubt that she will stay."

"Eros is right!" Zeus' voice boomed over all, drawing everyone's attention to him. "We must make ready for the arrival of our newest goddess! And," he smiled at Rob, "perhaps for something more."

Rob smiled back, then took his place on the pedestal where Dia would appear. She would be more comfortable and at ease if someone familiar was there with her.

Mere moments later, a pink glow in the form of a woman curled in the fetal position appeared sitting on the pedestal. The glow faded, revealing a nude Dia, seemingly asleep. Quickly, Rob wove a garment from clouds, just as Hera had done for him upon his own arrival in Olympus.

"I don't want her to wake up embarrassed," he explained.

Dia stirred and her eyes opened. The first person she saw was her beloved Rob. He smiled at her.

"Welcome to Olympus, love," he greeted. As he helped her stand, he introduced the gods and goddesses.

"We wish to offer you something," Zeus said. "The same thing we offered Robert, and he accepted. We wish to offer you immortality and goddesshood."

"I could stay with Rob forever, then?" she asked.

"Yes," Hera answered.

"What about our babies?"

"They are well-taken care of," Demeter told her. "And you will be able to visit them as much as you want."

"And what would I be the goddess of?"

"You will be the Goddess of Feminine Equality," Zeus answered. "And as such, your power will be equal to Robert's. Do you accept?"

"To be with my beloved forever –Yes!"

Again, the ambrosia and nectar were brought forward, and Dia partook of the nourishment of the gods.

Now, Rob rewove her simple garment into one of fine fabric. This one was one-shouldered, held by a single broach at the right shoulder. It was about the same length as Rob's, and was molded to her figure with a wide belt. Like Rob, she wore gold bands on both upper arms and both wrists. On her feet were high, gold Greek sandals.

In her hand appeared what looked like a hand mirror in the form of the symbol for female. Instead of a mirror, however, the face was of the Galactic Patrol emblem.

"Your Galactic Patrol serves as a mirror of equality between the sexes, so this hand mirror with their symbol shall be _your _symbol, as well. Now," Zeus rose and spread his arms wide, "a feast to welcome our newest goddess! And to plan a very special wedding…"

Rob and Dia looked at each other and smiled. He leaned over and kissed her, then led the way into the Olympian Royal Palace. Soon, the two of them would be married, to live in Rob's palace for all time.

_-_-_

Chapter 5: Emergency Command. The wedding of Rob and Dia, the Furies' Verdict, and Rob takes emergency command of Mighty Orbots in a whole new way!


	5. Emergency Command

Chapter 5: Emergency Command

Chapter Summery: The wedding of Rob and Dia, the Furies' Verdict, and Rob takes emergency command of Mighty Orbots in a whole new way!

Note: The wedding info for ancient Greek weddings is all I could find on the subject. I had to determine what parts of the wedding tradition the Amazons would uphold, and what parts they would discard as against the Amazon way. Although, technically, marriage, itself, is against the Amazon way, they would probably make some exceptions. I couldn't find anything on the ceremony, itself, so I ad-libbed, inspired by the wedding of Perseus and Andromeda in _Clash of the Titans_.

_-_-_

The atmosphere of Rondu's office had taken on an air of mythic mystery. The room was darkened, with the only light coming from the beings settled around the perimeter of the room. The thrones sat –not on the floor, as one would expect—but floated in the air, as if on invisible daises.

Nearby, in what could be called as a "witness box", sat Rondu, A.J., Barry, and the Orbots. Selena, Oro, and Plata were in a nearby room, caring for Robert and Alexia.

Earlier, Rob and Dia appeared to Rondu and explained that Vex Vector's punishment would be decided by Nemesis and the Furies. But the king of the Greek gods _would_ allow Rondu and the team to attend the tribunal.

Now, immortals and mortals awaited he arrival of the mythic enforcers. Rob and Dia –nearest Rondu and the Orbots—chatted with them as they waited for the tribunal to begin.

"Why is Zeus doing this?" Rondu asked. "Vector will be dealt with when he's caught."

"Because now that I'm an Olympian, anything that concerns me, concerns the gods," Rob answered. "And since Vex Vector 'killed' me –in an indirect way—Father Zeus wants to deal with my 'killer' the Olympian way. And _he's_ not someone you would want to argue with!"

Their attention was drawn to the center of the room where four women had just entered. The woman in the lead carried a pair of ancient scales in her left hand, and a sword in her right. The other three women carried swords, as well. They formed a ring, all facing Zeus. They waited for him to speak.

"Have you reached a verdict?" the king of the gods asked.

"We have, O' King," the woman with the scales answered. "I, Nemesis, and the Furies, find Vex Vector guilty of all charges."

"And the sentence?" Zeus prompted.

"Each of us has decreed a different fate," Nemesis continued. "Furies!" she cried, turning toward the other three women. "State your sentences!"

"I, Alecto, the unceasing," cried the woman on Nemesis' right, "curse Vex Vector with endless wandering of the universe. No planet will afford him shelter. He will have just enough luck to survive."

As she spoke, an image of Vex Vector appeared in a mass of swelling mists that floated into the room and swirled into a circular disc. At first, he seemed relieved, content, as he had successfully escaped from the Galactic Patrol. But as Alecto finished her sentence, she thrust the sword into the image. The sword sank into the mists, and as it disappeared, Vex's face changed to one of uncertainty.

"I, Megaera, the grudging," the woman beside Alecto spoke next, "curse Vex Vector with the mark of the traitor and murderer. There will be no place that he can go where he will not be recognized for what he is. Thou there we be no outward sign, he will be reviled by all who set eyes upon him…a monster!" She, too, thrust her sword into the image. As it sank and disappeared, Vex suddenly gave a silent scream of agony as the mark appeared, and then faded.

"I, Tisiphone, the avenger of murder," the woman between Megaera and Nemesis now spoke, "curse Vex Vector with destiny. He will survive all attempts to kill him, escape all attempts to capture him. But when the hawk soars again, Vex Vector's time will be done. Capture or death, the hawk will decide, but his luck will run its course, and come to an end." A third time, a sword sank beneath the swirling mists. Vex's image now showed absolute terror.

"So shall it be!" Nemesis cried. She allowed the scales to hang in mid-air. After a moment, the scales floated toward Barry, finally disappearing into his chest. Barry understood what this meant: He –as Bloodhawk—was the hawk mentioned by Tisiphone. When the twins were grown and old enough for one –or even both—to take command of Mighty Orbots, Bloodhawk would return to avenge the murder of the first Orbots' Commander.

"So shall it be!" Zeus confirmed the verdict, his voice thundering throughout the chamber.

"I'd be surprised if no one else heard that," Rondu commented.

The four women disappeared, their work done. The atmosphere of the room changed in mood to something much lighter.

"Now for something much more pleasant," Zeus' voice turned jovial, as if moments before there had not been a trail. "The wedding of our newest Olympians."

"Where are we going to hold it?" Dia asked as Rob put his arms around her

"Good question," Rob replied. "It will have to be where Rondu and the rest can attend. That kinda leaves out Mount Olympus. Immortals only."

"Well, I think our daughters on Themyscria should meet our new god and goddess," Hermes grinned.

"But I thought the Amazons didn't believe in marriage," Rob commented.

"Only because there have been no men on the island for centuries," Eros replied. "Except for a few visitors, that is. No permanent male residents, though."

"But the two of you are now part of the Olympian Pantheon," Hera said, as Selena and the gold and silver robots entered the room. The twins were sound asleep as Oro and Plata carefully carried them. "It's time the Amazons truly acknowledged our new godlings."

"How will _we_ get there?" Bo asked.

"I will provide the way," Hermes replied. "You will _all_ travel safely to Themyscria."

"Soon, love," Rob whispered in Dia's ear. "very soon…"

_-_-_

On Themyscria, the Amazons prepared for the upcoming divine wedding. Hunters brought in game while gatherers carted in baskets of fruit and vegetables. The Amazon vineyards provided large jars full of the finest wines.

While the royal palace was being prepared for the feast, it would be in the new temple the Amazons had built that the wedding would take place. Ancient Greek tradition was that a wedding would take place in the home of the groom, and for a god, that meant a temple.

The temple dedicated to Rob and Dia was built on open ground just outside the city wall, and to the south-east. The wall was then expanded to encompass the new building, and an entrance leading to it was made in the original wall.

The temple itself, although now decorated for the wedding, was devoid of statuary. Of all the Amazons, only Diana had met the new Olympian God of Robotics, and _none_ of them had met Dia. Hellene, one of the Amazons' best sculptors, hoped the divine bride and groom would allow her to make statues of them for the temple.

Now, Queen Hippolyta, Princess Diana, and the majority of the Amazons were gathered at the beach, awaiting the arrival of their mortal guests. Hermes would be bringing them. Once there, they would be taken, first to prepare –they had been told that clothing for the ceremony would be provided—and then on to the temple, where first Rob would arrive with the gods, and the Dia, with the goddesses.

In a brilliant, golden light, Hermes appeared on the shores of the island. With him was an older man, a young man that –Diana thought—looked a lot like Rob—eight metal people, two middle-aged women, a younger woman, and a young girl. In the arms of two of the female metal people –one gold, the other, silver—were babies.

Rob had appeared to the robots earlier, to give them a special talisman that he embedded in each robot. He explained to them that high technology does not work on Themyscria, and without the talismans, the robots would cease to function the moment they stepped onto the island. This way, they could keep working, even _with_ the magic that protected the Amazons' home.

"Welcome, brothers and sisters," Hippolyta greeted the guests, "to Themyscria!"

"Thank you, your Majesty," Rondu replied. "I am Rondu, Commander of the Galactic Patrol. This is my wife, Selena; Barry Simmons, the new Orbots' Commander; Lenore Simmons, Rob and Barry's mother; Amber, they younger sister, Andrea Jo Thomas, the Orbots' robotics engineer; and the Orbots, themselves –Oh-No, Tor, Bort, Bo, Boo, and Crunch. The gold and silver robots are Oro and Plata, and they carry Rob and Dia's twins, Robert and Alexia."

"Come," the queen smiled, gesturing with her hand towards several chariots. "You will be taken to a place where you can ready yourselves for the wedding.

Each guest stepped aboard a golden chariot, an Amazon at the reins. Tor and Crunch elected to run alongside the chariots, as both were extremely heavy, and would impede the progress of the ancient vehicles.

_-_-_

"I feel ridiculous!" Tor complained as he tried to pull the hem of his tunic a little further down his legs. If he was capable of if, he would have blushed with embarrassment.

"Shhhh…Tor!" Bo chided. "You'll insult our hosts!" The guests all wore Greek clothes –even the robots! The males –except for Rondu, who wore a long chiton—were in short chiton tunics, while the females wore long chitons. All waited at the new temple for the new bride and groom.

A golden light appeared in the temple, and through it walked the gods of Olympus. Zeus led the procession, with Rob right behind him. Walking beside the groom was Eros.

"Why is he dressed in red?" Tor asked in a whisper to Queen Hippolyte.

"Red is the traditional wedding color," she answered.

"Actually," Clio, the Amazon scribe, said, "the red chiton was optional for the groom. He was usually naked."

"I doubt if Rob would've shown up in the buff, anyway," Barry put in. "He was always the shy one."

When the procession got to the alter where the wedding would take place, Zeus stood at the alter, while Rob came to stand at the right of the alter. Behind Rob, as "best man" was Eros. The other gods took places around the temple to await the bride's procession.

As they waited, the Amazons kept looking at Rob, and then Barry, and back at Rob. Except for the red and black tips of Barry's hair, the two were identical!

"We're twins," Barry explained to the nearest Amazon. "I dyed my hair so no one could confuse us. I didn't want Rob to be blamed for something _I_ did." This information was quickly shared with the others.

A bright flash of light signaled the arrival of Dia and the goddesses. As if to mirror the entrance of the groom, Hera led the way, with Dia right behind her and Aphrodite right beside Dia. The bride was dressed in a long, red chiton, and carried a pomegranate to symbolize fertility. She was veiled, as well. At her waist, her symbolizing mirror hung from a belt. Rob also wore his golden screwdriver on a belt.

When she arrived at the alter, Dia presented the pomegranate to Rob, who accepted the fruit, then placed it on the alter. Bride and groom then turned toward each other and grasped each other's hands. Zeus took a gold cord and held it as he began the ceremony.

"With this golden cord, I, Zeus, king of the gods of Olympus, bind the hands of Dia, goddess of Feminine Equality, and Robert, god of Robotics in divine matrimony."

Zeus wrapped the cord around Dia and Rob's hands, and ending by laying the ends of the cord across the folded hands. He cupped their hands in his own and finished the ceremony.

"You are –now and for all time –husband and wife!"

The entire audience stood and cheered for Rob and Dia, even the Amazons, for whom marriage was not possible. Weddings were rare enough for the Themyseirian, rare still, the wedding of a god and goddess!

The wedding procession made its way to the royal palace for the wedding feast. Rob and Dia led the way, the true celebrating commencing at once.

When the wedding party arrived at the feast, everyone settled in for the party. Each person got their own couch and table where they were served their meal. The guests relaxed and chatted about the wedding, the world outside of Themyscria, and anything else that came up.

Barry was surprised when Rob showed no qualms about drinking wine. Never had the former bounty hunter seen his twin drink anything stronger than soda. To see him drinking anything alcoholic was somewhat strange. He said as much to Rob, who sat nearby.

"Wine is pretty much the drink of choice on Olympus," Rob replied to Barry's comment.

"I thought that was nectar," he brother remarked.

"That's only used –along with ambrosia-- for making a mortal into a god," Rob replied. "Wine is the most drunk beverage of the gods."

"Does that mean you get drunk every day, bro?" Barry gave a sly grin at Rob.

"You aren't challenging me to a drinking contest, are you, Barry?" Rob grinned back.

"Are you accepting, Bobby?"

"Bring it on, bro!" Rob laughed.

Dionysus, knowing, what was on Rob's mind, came forward with his always-full decanter. The god of wine filled Rob and Barry's goblets then stepped back to let them "have at it".

Simultaneously, the twins lifted the cups to their lips and began their drinking contest. Barry was quite unaware that Rob had already won.

Off the coast of Themyscria, the waters of the ocean began to bubble, as if being boiled. Slowly, a huge, gleaming form rose, the water cascading off in rivulets and waterfalls. The figure was a male warrior, made of bronze. He glanced around, then headed toward the island.

_-_-_

Rob and Barry were on their eight cup when Barry slowly slid of the divan and onto the floor. He drained the cup he still had and watched as Rob allowed his goblet to be refilled for the ninth time. Not willing to yet accept defeat, Barry held his cup to be refilled.

He managed to drink it down, then watched in disbelief as Rob allowed his goblet to be refilled for a _tenth_ time. Barry raised his cup for his tenth time, but instead dropped it to the floor.

"That's it!" he declared in defeat. "I'm done; you win!" He managed to crawl back onto his seat and ended up sitting so that he was straddling the couch. As he watched Rob drink his tenth cup of wine, Barry realized why his brother was so unaffected.

"Gods can't get drunk, can they?" he asked Rob accusingly.

"Not unless they want to," Ron confirmed, looking toward Dionysus.

"Then," Barry drunkenly replied, "There was _no_ way I could have won this?"

"I'm afraid not," Rob grinned.

Barry groaned and fell back against the couch, one hand to his head. He shook his head in a show of exaggerated defeat that caused the guests to laugh.

"Note to self: _Never_ challenge now-immortal twin bro to _anything_! Man; am _I_ going to have a monster-sized hangover in the morning!"

A sound from outside drew their attention. Bort moved to the open area of the wall and morphed his eyes into binoculars. He manually focused his eyes, which bugged out at what he saw.

"What is it, Bort?" Bo asked.

"I…i…it's a g…g…giant r…r…robot!" he stuttered.

"A robot?" Rob moved with the ease of flight, alighting gently beside the blue Orbot. He looked out toward the sea.

"It _is_ a giant," he announced. "It looks like it's made of bronze!"

"Talos?" Hera turned to the god of the forge. "Hephestesis, I thought Jason and his Argonauts destroyed him."

"They did," he answered. "What could bring him back, I do not know."

"Mighty Orbots could fight him," Tor said.

"_If_ we had the Beam Car," Oh-No pointed out.

"And," Bo added, "_if_ our commander wasn't too drink to lead us…" she glared at Barry, who just gave her a drunken, sheepish smile, and fell back on the divan in a stupor.

"I have an idea," Rob said. "If you Orbots will allow me to lead you again."

"Of course, Rob," Bo replied. The other Orbots also gave their consents. They would follow him as they did when he was still their commander.

"Okay. Oh-No, you stay with Barry and see what you can do for him. As for the rest of you –**ORBOTS: UNITE!**"

At the command from familiar lips, the Orbots leapt into the air and twisted into familiar shapes. One-by-one, the Orbots fitted themselves into the puzzle that was Mighty Orbots.

But how did Rob plan to power up the gestalt, much less control him?

Rob lifted into the air and flew into Mighty Orbots' open chest, which automatically closed behind him. Quickly, he made his way to what would have been the control room if they had used the Beam Car.

The inside of Mighty Orbots' head was devoid of the usual control panels; just an empty space with the couplings where the transformed Beam Car would have been attached and became the control center.

Rob now stood in the empty area, darkened because there is no energy powering up the mighty robot. At least, not yet.

Rob closed his eyes and became intangible. He then began to grow in size, filling every inch of the giant robot with his essence. He slipped his feet into the "boots" formed by Bort and Crunch, just as his hands slipped into the "gloves" of Bo and Boo. Like his helmet in his old life, Mighty Orbots' head fit perfectly on his own head.

Rob was now "clothed" in the armored form of Mighty Orbots!

Thus armored, Rob used his godling powers to activate Mighty Orbots, awaking the minds of the Orbots encased within the gestalt. One-by-one, the robots became aware of his presence, and greeted him.

"Hello, Orbots," Rob smiled. "Just relax and let me use your powers."

"Sure, Rob," Bo replied, and the others quickly gave their own consents, completely trusting their creator. As soon as the last one answered, they felt him take command of their powers.

Lifting into the air, Orbot-Rob flew out to sea to meet Talos before the other could get to the island. Rob remembered the story of Jason and the Argonauts, and he knew the secret of defeating the bronze giant. But before he could implement his plan, he had to immobilize Talos.

"Hey, Tin Man!" Rob's voice rang from the speakers inside Mighty Orbots. "You got an invitation?"

Talos roared at the challenger and charged. But the water slowed him down, causing him to move sluggishly as he attacked. Mighty Orbots easily dodged the ancient man of metal.

_I need to finish this quickly,_ Rob thought. _If Talos reaches Themyscria, he could destroy the island!_

Activating Bo and Boo's levitation powers, Rob caught Talos in an energy beam and lifted the bronze giant into the air. Shutting off the beam, Mighty Orbots caught Talos as he fell toward the sea.

Mighty Orbots leapt into the air, holding on to Talos as the multi-colored robot flew away. Once in the air, Rob flipped Talos over so that the bronze man's heels were sticking up. Creating an energy rope, Mighty Orbots quickly bound Talos arms and leapt. He then located the ankle plug that would finish Talos. Without hesitation, Rob-Orbot removed the plug and the lava-hot blood poured out into the sea. The water hissed as the burning liquid hit it, turning into foul-smelling steam. Talos was slowly deactivated.

_Heph!_ Rob called mentally to the blacksmith god. _What do I do with Talos?_

_Take him to my forge,_ Hephaestus answered. _I'll deal with him later._

Instantly, Mighty Orbots disappeared, only to reappear a heartbeat later. Rob flew out of the gestalt's chest and landed back inside the palace. Moments later, the Orbots separated back into themselves and rejoined the feast.

"How did you _do_ that, Rob?" Boo asked.

"What did he do?" was Lenore's question. Boo told them how Rob had taken over Mighty Orbots and used their powers to battle Talos.

"He's the god of robots and robotics," Eros smiled. "It's all a part of his power sphere."

"That's true," Rob smiled back as he settled back into his seat to resume his meal. "My powers are all over robots, and the gestalt form of Mighty Orbots is a robot."

Selena was using her powers to tend to Barry. He groaned and woke up, his eyes blinking away the alcohol-induced nap.

"What happened?" he asked. When the others filled him in on the battle he missed, he added, "Bro, anytime you want to take control of Tobor and join me on a mission, feel free to do it!"

"I just might do that, bro," Rob nodded. Everyone settled back to enjoy the feast, with talk focusing mostly on the battle with Talos.

_That would be an interesting thing,_ Rob thought as Dia lovingly feed him some honeycomb. _And really, who would know that I was controlling Tobor? And it would be easier because Tobor isn't sentinant like the Orbots. I would no have to ask or explain myself. Just take over._

He feed some honeycomb to Dia, wondering how the Shadow refugees would react to both Mighty Orbots _and_ Tobor. How would they react if they knew who –and _what_—was controlling the ex-Shadow robot?

The thought made him give one of his cocky, little grins as he continued the wedding celebration.

_-_-_

Thanks again to Lynnda for the idea of the Rob/Barry drinking contest. I hope you enjoyed it!

I know the fight with Mighty Orbots was short, but honestly, how much of a challenge could a man of bronze like Talos can be for a futuristic, giant robot? Especially one powered by a god?

Next Chapter: Chapter 6: Teenage Demi-gods: Robert and Alexia are teenagers, getting acquainted with their powers.


End file.
